The U.S. Forest Service is making strides in monitoring energy and water consumption at several of the Agency’s facilities by installing software called the Advanced Metering Program, which accurately reports water and energy consumption.

The project is being lead by the U.S. Forest Service’s National Sustainable Operations Team. In the near future, monitoring devises will be installed at most Forest Service facilities that are larger than 10,000 square feet, or have electrical energy costs that exceed $40,000 per year. Software will collect the data and make it available for viewing online.

Thus far, the Forest Service has installed two advanced meters at the Missoula Technology and Development Center and another meter on the Prescott National Forest in Arizona. An additional meter installation is scheduled for the Idaho Panhandle National Forest.

The Forest Service also has sustainability requirements for new building construction projects where the building is 2,500 square feet or greater in size. These new facilities must have advanced electric meters and systems to measure energy use permanently installed at the time of construction.